Washington Nationals News: Solis savoring role in Nationals’ bullpen
By Pablo Roa
Good morning DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily! Start off your day with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson discusses Nationals’ rookie reliever Sammy Solis. As Ladson notes, Solis—a starter by trade—is loving his role as a reliever, and he’s pitched well so far.
Earlier this season, the Nationals’ bullpen was arguably the team’s biggest weakness. Recently, however, the bullpen has improved dramatically, and the addition of Solis is a big reason why. Since he was called up to the big leagues, Solis has pitched six shutout innings over three games.
It’s great to see Solis succeed at the big league level, especially since the young left-hander’s career has been slowed by injuries. It remains to be seen how long Solis will stay with the big league club, but if he continues to pitch well, he figures to be a bullpen fixture for the rest of the season.
Also in today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes discusses Jose Lobaton and the success he’s seen so far this season. As Janes notes, Lobaton hasn’t gotten a lot of playing time but has made the most of the games he’s been on the field.
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Although Lobaton won’t be starting many games this season unless Wilson Ramos gets hurt, the fact that the Nationals have a backup catcher who can contribute whenever he’s in the lineup is a huge advantage for the team. It’s a long season, and there’s no doubt that Lobaton will play a big role in the team’s NL East campaign.
Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth the read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
Solis savoring role in Nationals’ bullpen
WASHINGTON — Left-hander Sammy Solis continues to do the job out of the Nationals’ bullpen. In Sunday’s 5-4 victory over the Braves, he pitched one shutout inning and picked up his first Major League win.
Solis didn’t know he had the victory until the game was over. Solis is loving the role as a reliever. In three games, Solis has pitched six shutout innings.
“I think my fastball command [is the reason for my success],” he said. “I pound guys in hard. I go away at times, but because my fastball command is there, I’m able to utilize my other pitches well.” Read full article here.
Jose Lobaton taking advantage of opportunities
(Chelsea Janes, Washington Post)
Jose Lobaton is the goofy one, the guy who tapes a ball to the barrel of his bat so it learns where to go, who will reward himself with ice cream as incentive to play well, who will rip the bottoms out of paper cups and place them over his ears for … well, obvious reasons.
He is also the Nationals’ backup catcher, so opportunities for on-field, baseball-related antics can come sparingly. That inglorious position requires endless studying and limited playing time — backup catchers can’t even pinch hit under normal circumstances, as teams carry two catchers, and an injury would force an unlucky position player to don the tools of ignorance. Read full article here.